Honey flower | |
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Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Geraniales |
Family: | Francoaceae |
Genus: | Melianthus |
Species: | M. comosus
|
Binomial name | |
Melianthus comosus
Vahl, 1794
| |
Synonyms | |
Diplerisma comosum (Vahl) Planch. [1] Melianthus minor L. [2] |
Melianthus comosus, the honey flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Francoaceae. It is native to the mostly dry regions of southern Africa. The attractive multi-stemmed shrubs are popular garden subjects. The Afrikaans name kruidjie-roer-my-nie (herb-touch-me-not) alludes to the unpleasant smell that results from bruising of any part of the plant. [3] The vegetative parts are very toxic, as with other Melianthus species, and extracts of the leaves and stem have anti-bacterial properties. [4]
It is native to South Africa, western Lesotho and southern Namibia, where it occurs from 400 to 2,000 m above sea level. [2] In South Africa it occurs in the greater part of the Cape and Free State provinces, and locally in North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
The flowers which produce copious black nectar [note 1] are zygomorphic in shape, and green to pale pink in colour. [2] [5] The black nectar is visible through the pale green, semi-transparent sepals. A flower produces an average of 42 μl of nectar a day, with a 10% sugar content, which has been described as a "rich black honey" that almost fills the cup. [6] Vahl's description of the species in 1794 however omitted any mention of the coloured nectar, or its abundance. [2]
Honey from its flowers is dark in colour, and apparently not toxic to humans. [7] The flowers are visited by insects and birds, [2] especially sunbirds which eagerly seek them out. [6] [8]
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Honey flower | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Geraniales |
Family: | Francoaceae |
Genus: | Melianthus |
Species: | M. comosus
|
Binomial name | |
Melianthus comosus
Vahl, 1794
| |
Synonyms | |
Diplerisma comosum (Vahl) Planch. [1] Melianthus minor L. [2] |
Melianthus comosus, the honey flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Francoaceae. It is native to the mostly dry regions of southern Africa. The attractive multi-stemmed shrubs are popular garden subjects. The Afrikaans name kruidjie-roer-my-nie (herb-touch-me-not) alludes to the unpleasant smell that results from bruising of any part of the plant. [3] The vegetative parts are very toxic, as with other Melianthus species, and extracts of the leaves and stem have anti-bacterial properties. [4]
It is native to South Africa, western Lesotho and southern Namibia, where it occurs from 400 to 2,000 m above sea level. [2] In South Africa it occurs in the greater part of the Cape and Free State provinces, and locally in North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
The flowers which produce copious black nectar [note 1] are zygomorphic in shape, and green to pale pink in colour. [2] [5] The black nectar is visible through the pale green, semi-transparent sepals. A flower produces an average of 42 μl of nectar a day, with a 10% sugar content, which has been described as a "rich black honey" that almost fills the cup. [6] Vahl's description of the species in 1794 however omitted any mention of the coloured nectar, or its abundance. [2]
Honey from its flowers is dark in colour, and apparently not toxic to humans. [7] The flowers are visited by insects and birds, [2] especially sunbirds which eagerly seek them out. [6] [8]
{{
cite journal}}
: Missing or empty |title=
(
help)